I’m a fan of products from the Alpen muesli line, and I was lucky enough to recieve a box of their brand new Apple Spice muesli that is getting launched in British Columbia very soon. I like Alpen because their products contain very low amounts of sugar- if any. The Apple Spice flavour contains more sugar (6g). I first tried the muesli in a bowl with unsweetened almond milk (as I eat all my muesli/cereal) and I was taken aback by the strong cinnamon flavour. It tasted quite like a box of cinnamon hearts that you get around Valentine’s Day. As the almond milk soaked in, the strong flavour simmered down a bit, and I liked the crunchy texture. The next time I tried it, I had it in a yogurt bowl, where I added chopped pecans, plain yogurt, and a few raisins. I enjoyed the muesli this way much more, as the flavour wasn’t as strong. If you are a huge cinnamon lover and are looking for a big burst of flavour, then this is the cereal for you. For me it was too strong, but I will continue to eat it for breakfast because it fills me up for a long time and gives me plenty of energy to head to the gym in the morning. For all of you in B.C., keep your eyes peeled for this product if you’d like to try it, and see if your local grocery store carries Alpen products.

I have been dying to try pumpkin oatmeal for the longest time, and finally I decided on a recipe (there are so many floating around the internet to choose from!). The recipe comes from Give Me Some Oven and I chose it because it doesn’t contain a huge amount of sugar, and I was even able to reduce the sugar more. It was delicious topped with some soy milk and I love how it’s served in little individual ramekins.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Recipe (Adapted from Gimme Some Oven, originally adapted from GoodLife Eats)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned oats, not quick cook
• 1 Tbsp. whole flax seeds, optional
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup soymilk or almond milk or regular milk

Topping:

• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• sprinkle of cinnamon

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.  Grease 4 individual-sized ramekins.  Set aside.

Combine the first eight ingredients (oat thru salt) in a medium-sized bowl.  Stir well.  In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, pumpkin, and milk.  Whisk thoroughly.  Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats, and stir until combined.

Divide mixture evenly between the four ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to move in and out of the oven.). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping: chopped pecans, butter, and brown sugar. After the oatmeal has baked for 10 minutes, remove and divide topping mixture evenly between the ramekins. Bake and additional 7 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with a splash of milk and raisins, if desired.

To everyone in Canada, I hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving Weekend- eat lots!!!

Enjoy some delicious pumpkin scones like I did, with a great recipe from Pinch My Salt. These really embrace fall flavours and make a great treat on the weekend or for a special pick-me-up in the afternoon. I made some changes in the recipe, as I don’t usually eat cream or milk and I thought that dried cranberries would add more to the recipe than raisins. Enjoy!

P.S. Sorry for the short post but I’m working at way at getting my ‘Culinary’ section up and running, along with a pile of homework!!

Pumpkin Spice Scones

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all purpose white flour)
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4  tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup plain soy milk
• 6 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, salt, and all spices. Whisk together well.

In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, soy milk, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk together well. Cut butter into pieces and put in bowl with the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or rub it in with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the dried cranberries if you are using them.

Pour liquid mixture into the flour mixture all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is just moistened. The dough will be very crumbly, this is the way it should be. Turn the mixture out onto the counter and push the pile together with your hands. It should stick together fairly well. Knead it just a couple of times until everything is together. Don’t knead it too much or the dough will get too sticky.
4. Pat the dough out into a rough circle, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut it like a pie into 8 pieces. Place pieces on the baking sheet so that they are not touching. Bake scones for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. They should be light brown on the bottom, the tops will darken as they cool.

Cinnamon Glaze

Mix together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp soy milk, 1/4 – 1/2 t. cinnamon (to taste). Again, adjust amounts to change consistency. Icing can be brushed on or drizzled.